How to set up a Nameserver

What’s a Nameserver?

A DNS or Domain Name System is a convention that defines how computers swap data with each other on the Internet. For every website name, like plesk.com, DNS turns it into an Internet Protocol (IP) address like 21.231.89.78. Hence, giving each computer on the network a unique identity. It’s a bit like a phone number.

Every time you access a website, you enter a name, then the request goes through a DNS server or nameserver. This server holds an enormous database of records. So what it does is find the stored name and turns it into its corresponding “phone number.” Therefore, this system ensures that people only need to remember the names for these addresses – and not majorly long numbers.

How you create these DNS records will vary according to your hosting provider. So please check their interface to make sure. But here’s how you can configure nameservers so you can translate domain names into IP addresses.

Note that for domain extensions (TLD), you’ll usually have to use at least 2 different IP addresses for 2 different nameservers. As an example, we’re using the domain “domain.com” with the nameservers “ns1.domain.com” and “ns2.domain.com” which should have IPs “1.1.1.1” and “2.2.2.2”.

Setting up a Nameserver with Plesk Control Panel

Creating Your Domain

First, create your domain in Plesk. Then, go to “Websites & Domains” to see an overview of all your domains. If you want to configure a second IP address for your nameservers, go to “Tools & Settings” > “Tools & Resources” > “IP Addresses”. The nameserver will respond to all configured IPv4 and IPv6 addresses. The IP addresses for your nameservers can be different from the ones you used for your websites.

In Plesk, DNS zone configuration is done with a DNS template. You can find this under “Tools & Settings” – “General Settings” – “DNS Template”. This template has all the settings for the nameservers (apart from some for default entries and ones for internal services such as webmail), so this is where you can configure the entries for all the domains on your server.

Plesk creates two nameserver entries by default, “ns1.domain.com” and “ns2.domain.com” – just as examples. If you want to use the same nameservers for each of your domains, it’s best to change the NS entries and IP addresses of your nameservers in the template. To use different nameservers, you can also change these settings later in your domain’s DNS zone. When you have configured the DNS template, you’ll need to apply it to all domains.

Now you can see the new settings also in the DNS zone of your domain. You can manage the DNS zone at “Websites & Domains” – “domain.com” – “DNS Settings”. Here, you can add, edit and delete your DNS entries.

Domain Configuration

Finally, you’ll need to properly configure your domain settings with your domain registrar. So, change the nameserver entries. And if you want to use subdomains based on your domain (such as “ns1.domain.com” for your domain “domain.com”) as your nameservers, you will also need to set up “Glue Records”. This just means that the domain registrar saves the name of the IP address as well as the names of your name servers. Sometimes you’ll need to configure new IP addresses at the current DNS zone of your domain.

Since a DNS update takes time, you may need to wait up to 24 hours before the new settings become actual. You can test your nameservers and the name resolution for your domain with tools like DNSstuff. It can help you verify the settings at your DNS provider and your nameservers.

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